Electric signal system.



J. D. NELSON.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY S. 1917.

1,266,1%%. I Patented May14,1918.

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7 /6 gnucnfoz JAMES DVNELSON, 01 CINCINNATI, 01-11 0.

ELECTRIC-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification bf Letters Patent.

1 Patented May 14,

- niiplication'filed-May 5, 1917. Serial No.'166,588.

To allwiwm it may Concern:

FBe it known that I, Ja'MnsDu NELSON, a

citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Cincinnati, in I the county of Hamilton. and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Signal Systems, ofwhich the following is a specification; Electric signal systems now in use for giving ,signals'for indicating a flow of water through automatic fire extinguisher systems, are so equipped that-the elements-of the apparatus which formuparts of these systems, involve the loss of water through blee der: passages and-similar arrangements, as well as necessitating theme of diaphragms which in time orackand necessitate repairs at inconvenient times.

An object of my invention is to -produce an electric. signal system in which thefiow of water into special alarm devices iseliminated and in whichbuckling diaphragms and similar constructions are avoided.

ti-i furthernobject-is to produce an ,-im proved electric signal system in which the parts susceptible to d-isarrangement are accessible-without havingtodisturb any portion of the fire extinguisher;system with whichqny improved electric signal system maybe associated such as shutting-ofi' water or air pressure, draining the system or even destroying pipeand other connections in order to reach the required elements for repairs or replacement These andother ob jects are attained in the systemdescribed in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: i I I Figure 1, is a somewhat ;"diagrammatic view of my improvedsystem, certain elements being shown in sectional elevation for convenience of illustration. v

Fig.2-isa diagrammatie'view of the arrangement of certain of the elements of the system and the positions they occupy at differentperiods of the operation thereof.

\Fig. is ayfragmental sectional view taken on the ,line 3-3 of Figul,

Fig. s is'a perspective view oif a fragment of oneelement of my improvedsystem, cer-, tain'parts being shownbroken away for convenience of illustration.

My improved system consistsof an ele ment 5,1ocated ina casing 6 which is conneoted wit-hthe sprinkler system? by means of a pipe nippleS, element 5 being operatively connected with a flow responsive valve 9 located in the fire extinguisher system for thepurpose of operating to'send in a signal instantly uponoperation of valve 9. A bar 10 pivotally mounted at a point 11 in pipe nipple 8, is the operative connection between elements and valve 9. Valve 9 is provided witha finger 12 which bears upon end 13 of lever 10 and causes its opposite end let to be raised when the valve is closed and to be lowered when the valve isopened. Element 5 consistsof a pairof magnets 15 and 16 having their pole ends spaced'a'part and connected by a frame 17 consisting of a bar 18 extending transversely, of magnet- 15, arbar 19 extending transversely of magnet 16, and'rods. 20 and 21 connecting the ends of bars 18 and 19. Magnets 15 and'16 are so located with relation to one another that the north pole of magnet 15 and the south pole of magnet 16 are located substantially over onev another with the south pole of magnet 15 vlocated over the north pole-'of magnet 16. Both magnets 15 and 16 are preferably ofthe permanent type.'- Between rods QOwand 21 a housing 22 is located. This housing extends from one side wall 23 of easing 6 to the opposite side wall 2% thereof, thus passingybetween magnets 15 and 16. The distance between th'epoleqends of magnet-s15 and 16 is sufiioient to permit magnet 16 to engage the under side of housing--22 .when magnet 15 occupies *an elevated position with relation thereto, magnet. 16 thereby being permitted to occupy'aposition in spaced relation to housingv 22 when magnet 15v engages the upper side of the housing. Thus when arm 10, which is connected with magnet 15 at a point 25,is in its normal positionnas disclosed in. Fig. 1',m'agnet- 16 is in engagement with the under side of the housing'andmagnet 15 is in anvelevated postion with relation thereto. Withi-n'housing 22 is aswinging needle 26 which is'pivotallymounted' at a-point 27in the top and bottom offthe interior of the housing so as to swing freely therein. Thisoneedle 26 is one of thepermanent magnet type andihas extending from the under side of its north end apin 28. At the side of housing 22 adjacentttothesouth pole ofmagnet. 1-5 and the north. opoleof magnet 1,6 is a delicate contact switch 29. Pin 28 of swingingmag net 26is so positioned as to engagev finger 30 ofswitch 29 to close the switch when the magnet is swung upon its pivot'27. Under normal conditions, when magnet 16 occupies a position in contact with the under side of housing 22, the north end of magnet 26 reg isters with the south end of magnet 16, but when frame 17 is lowered to withdraw magnet 16 and to place magnet in engagement with housing 22, the physical position which swinging magnet 26 occupied up to this operation will now be reversed so as to bring its south end into register with the north end of magnet 15 and its north end into register with the south end of magnet 15, thereby bringing pin 28 into engagement with switch 30 to close the switch. In. the construction of the apparatus thus for described 1 preferably construct arm 10, nipple 8, casing 6, frame 17, and housing of non magnetic material such as brass. This is for the purpose of rendering the swinging of magnet 26 in response to the movement of the magnets 15 and 16, free from magnetic disturbances other than those produced by magnets 15 and 16.

For the purpose of enabling magnets 15 and 16 to approach swinging magnet 26 more closely and tothereby affect its swinging movement more strongly, I have decreased the thickness of the top and the bottom of housing 22 at the points the ends of magnets 15 and 16 engage. This produces thin walls in the housing and does not matcrially weaken the strength thereof.

The remainder of the system is illustrated diagrannnatically and is of the closed circuit type. In the elements comprising this portion of the system I have disclosed a mag net 31 which is in closed circuit with a battery 32 and which controls an arm 33 pivotally mounted at a point 3st. At one end of arm 33 a rack 35 is formed for co'ciperation with a pinion 36 of a retarding mechanism 37 and at the opposite end of arm 33 a finger 38 of an arm 39 is engaged for releasing a signal transmitter 40 by disengaging a pawl 41 therefrom. Transmitter 4O cooperates with a signal transmitting key or switch 4.2 which is connected with circuit a3 adapted to transmit signals to a signal recorder M located at the central ofice. Under normal conditions arm 33 is elevated by magnet 31 to permit detent s1 to lock transmitter 40 against operation, but when magnet 31 is deenergized, arm 33 is released and detent 41 unlocks the transmitter 4,0 for the transmission of a signal to signal recorder 4i. Switch 29 is connected with battery 32 by means of leads 4:5 and 46 which are in turn connected with main line leads 47 and 48 respectively and are adapted to short circuit tnese leads when switch 29 is closed.

In describing the operation of my improved system, the parts will be considered to be in their normal positions as disclosed in Fig. 1, and as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the positions of magnets 26 and 15 when eeann magnet 15 is lowered to swing magnet 26, being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be assumed that a flow of water through the fire extinguisher system 7 takes place to raise valve 9. Immediately upon the raising of valve 9, lever 10 will operate to drop frame 17 and its magnets 15 and 16. Swinging magnet 26, which in its normal condition occupies the position disclosed in Fig. l and in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, will be acted upon by magnet 15 according to the magnetic law of like poles repelling and unlike poles attracting, to cause it to swing to the position disclosed in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which its pin 28 has been brought into engagement with finger 30 of switch 29 to short circuit battery 32. Thus upon the short circuiting of battery 32 by the closing of switch 29, magnet 31 is denergized to allow arm 33 to drop and to operate retard mechanism 37 for the purpose of releasing transmitter $0 for the purpose of transmitting a signal from transmitter 40 to signal recorder 4%. However, should the flow of water through extinguisher system 7 be for less than a predetermined time, valve 9 will operate to cause magnet 26 to swing to open the switch 29 and thereby renergize magnet 31 to again attract the member 33 of the retarding mechanism, before the retarding mechanism has had time to release transmitter 40 for signal operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An electric signal system comprising a casing having its interior communicating with a tire extinguisher system to be supervised, a valve in said extinguisher system, a magnet located in the casing, means operatively connecting the magnet and the valve, and a signaling device located adjacent to the magnet and outside the walls of the casing, adapted to send a signal when the valve is operated to cause said magnet to exert its influence upon the signaling device.

An electric signal system comprising a casing having its interior communicating with a fire extinguisher system to be super vised, avalve located in the extinguisher system, a magnet located in the casing, means operatively connecting the valve and the magnet, whereby movement of the valve will reciprocate the magnet within the casing, and a magnetically controlled signal sending switch located exteriorly of the casing, adjacent to the magnet, and adapted to close a signal sending circuit when the magnet is moved in one direction in response to opening movement of the valve and to break the signal sending circuit when the magnet is moved in the opposite direction in response to closing movement of the valve.

3. An electric signal system comprising a casing having its interior communicating with a the extinguisher system to be super- "vised, a valve located in the fire extinguisher system, a magnetically controlled signal sending device located adjacent to the casing and exteriorly thereof, a magnet located within the casing adapted to initiate signal sending operation of the signal sending device when moved toward said device, a second magnet located Within the casing adapted to control the signal sending device to stop signal transmitting operation of the device, and means operatively connecting the magnets and the valve, whereby the opening and closing movements of the valve in response to changes of conditions within the extinguisher system, will reciprocate the magnets to control operation of the signal sending device.

45. An electric signal system comprising a valve located in a fire extinguisher system to be supervised, a signal transmitter, a timing device adapted to control the operation of the transmitter, and a magnetic device located within the extinguisher system and operatively connected with the valve and the timing device, whereby said timing device will be controlled to operate the transmitter in response to a change from the normal condition of the valve fora predetermined time.

5. An electric signal system comprising a valve located in a fire extinguisher system to be supervised, a signal transmitter, a timing device responsive to an abnormal condition of the valve for a predetermined time to trip the transmitter, and a magnet located in the fire extinguisher system and operatively connected with the valve, adapted to control operation of the timing device, whereby movement of the valve in response to a change of conditions within the system, will aifect the operation of the timing device.

6. An electric signal system comprising a valve located Within an automatic fire extinguisher system to be supervised, a non magnetic casing having its interior communicating with the interior of the extinguisher system, a magnet located within the casing and operatively connected with the valve, and a signal transmitting device adapted to be controlled by operation of the magnet in response .to movement of the valve, whereby signals will be transmitted upon changes in conditions within the fire extinguisher system.

7. An electric signal system comprising a valve located within an automatic fire extinguisher system to be supervised, a non magnetic casing connected with the extinguisher system and having its interior communicating with the interior of the extinguisher system, a magnet located within the casing, an arm operatively connecting the valve and the magnet, a magnetically responsive member located exteriorly of the casing and adapted to be operated in response to operation of the magnet, and a signal transmitter operatively connected with the magnetically responsive member, operated in response to a change in the conditions in the system,

8. An electric signal system comprising a valve located within a fire extinguisher system to be supervised, a non magnetic casing connected with the fire extinguisher system and having its interior communicating with the interor of the system, a magnet located wthin the casing, an arm operatively connecting the valve and the magnet, a magnetically responsive member located exteriorly of the casing and adapted to be oper ated in response to operation of the magnet within the casing, a timing device responsive to operation of the magnetically controlled member, and a transmitter operatively connected with the timing device and adapted to be operated upon operation of the timing device in response to operative movement of the magnet upon actuation of the valve in response to a change of conditions in the extinguisher system for a predetermined time.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of May,

JAMES D. NELSON. Witnesses WALTER F. MURRAY, W. THORNTON Boennr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

